Centering and supporting device for car-couplings.



W. F. RiCHARDS. CENTERING AND SUPPOR'HNG DEVICE FOR CAR COUPUNGS.

APPLlCATlQN FILED MAR.17,1916.

Patented Aug. 14, 1917.

. W. F. RXCHARDS.

CENTERING AND SUPPORTING DEVICE FOR CAR cou APPUCAHON HLED MAR. I. 916- 1,236,873. Patented Aug. 14,1917.

2 SHEETSSHEET 2- PLINGS.

WILLARD I. BICHLARDS, orrnnrnw nnw YORK; ASSIGNOB TO':GOULD COUPIIER'COLE YORK, ELY;

CENTEBIRG AND SUBBOBTINGLv DEVICE? FOR. GAR-COUPLINGS."

- speciflcationhofzletters latent;

Patented Aug. 14, 1917.

Application-filedlflrchslfimlfii SerielNo. 54314;

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that-I; WirnARnxEYRiormRDS, a citizen of the Uniteda States; residing? at Depew, in the county ofiErie-and?state ofi New York; have invented i arnewand Improvement in Centering: and? Supporting: Devices for Car-Couplings," .ofiwliichzthe fol-'- lowing is a specification.

This invention relates 'to 'centeringt' and;

supporting devices which; areused? in? 0011sjunction with the couplers -ofi carson othen' railway rolling stock for the purpose; of

permitting the couplers to swing-or move sidewise when the cars are iroundmgzrcurves and returning the couplers toandayieldingh' holding them" in their normal? central IlOSi-r tions.

vices of this kind in the respects'hereinaiften described and set forthinzthesclajms- In the accompanying drawings: t

Figure 1 is a planview -ofaficoupler-rand? supporting and" centering device therefor embodying the inventiom.

Fig. 2 is a similar-view"showingj'thercou. pler swung to one" side;

Figs. 3 and 4=ere-transversesectionalelevations thereof; on an enlarged: scale, on lines 3-3, Fig; 1, end line4 4-,cEig.a2ire=-- spectively.

Fig. 5 iso longitudinal-l.sectionmlelevation thereof, on line 5-5, Fig;

Fig. 6 is vaside elevationthereof.

A represents a coupler" andiv a-the shank or drawbar thereof; whicliais pivotedlat iits inner end at a to permit: the coupler to swing sidewise to either side: of? the-normal central position-shown-in Figill; Thexcous pler and drawber may be of any 'usualiorcde sired construction and 1- maybepivotedionamovably: connectedito =-the-=car i'onrotherr;railway rolling stock? in: any suitab1e.;-manne iron, as" usual; hasupri'ghtend attaching: portions 72 with laterally projecting: upperends' adopted i to be bolted? or? otherwise": se cured to the" car 015101311631 rolling; stock, and

a horizontal portion; b which 1 connects the lower ends of the. attachingzportionsbeneath the drawbar, which: is supported 1 thereby;-

T hev. carry-iron B preferably consists. of a.-

single piecensteelcasting; the connecting portion offwhich'is in-the. form .of' 'an open-end ed hollow cylinder ortubular springghousing" hswingje substantially flat horizontal; top 3 ,893v 6 ed toslide 1 with 1 the 1 drawbar: on the carry iron' B between: the": end. attaching." portions thereofz. saddleipreferably consists of! a. single piece substantially u-shaped metal "partaliaviii-g. a,- horizontal bottonx and;v upwardly"projectings'sides 0 between" which the-drawbar is "confinedgssaid'sides" 0 having convexed' inner surfaces; as" shown in Figs. 1

I. and 2; on which. the drawbar is: adapted to rock 'andslide-inethesihorizontal swinging movement's off the drawbar'; The saddle rests -andis adaptedit'o slide on the'horizon talitopoffthespring housing b" ofthezcarry- 111011.. I

Extending lengtliwisefin the spring hous ing; If is a coil'v springDlkwhich bears at its ends-2 against-.1 abutments or: followers- F F arrangedl'torslidelongitudinally in the hous ing; These. sliding abutments. are prefer ably; in the form of cylindrical sockets or sleevesm. which the ends of; the spring arecon-fined; The-saddle-is' provided at oppositea:e mis with' partsdT-d. respectively adapt edixto engage cooperating; parts" ff' at the mnersends of the sleeves F F, whereby one sleeve is moved the-- saddle when the drawban-swings-to" one side: from itszcentral position v and the: other sleeve I is" moved by the saddle when; the drawbar. swings to the otherrside from centralposition'. Preferebly the parts dd 'consi'st offlugs depending flfi'omzthesendportions of the saddle into a. longitudinal I slot d" "in the top wall I ofthe spring'housmgwbfl andlthe parts f f consist ofT'lugs-projectingup fromthe' 'inner ends of then-sleeves *FfF into the .slotd?" in the path of thesaddle: lugs;- The saddle lugs d. (2'

guide :the .saddle inits" movements" and these lugs-and the lugs: on the sleeves are prefer-- ably; provided: with undercut or G represents a: saddle. or slide in which the drewbarrestsiandfwhich'is-adaptfaces f which cooperate to prevent the saddle from lifting out of place on the carry- 1IOI1.

The spring and sliding spring sleeves are 5 retained in the spring housing by end caps G which are secured in place on the ends of the housing by a bolt or rod H which extends lengthwise centrally through the spring housing and through the caps G. The slot (Z in the spring housing is preferably continued through the upright end portions 6 of the carry-iron, and the caps G are cut away or flattened at g opposite the slot so that any cinders or other matter which may fall into the slot will be shoved out of the open ends thereof by the lugs d d of the saddle in the operation of the centering device and will not collect in the housing or interfere with the movement of the saddle. 0 The caps can be prevented from turning on the housing so as to retain their flat edges 9 in register with the slot (1 by the engagement of the edges 9 with shoulders g on the ends of the housing, or in any other con- 5 venient way. The bolt or rod H passes loosely through the spring sleeves and spring and is provided with a head at one end engaging one cap G and with one or more nuts h at the other end engaging the other cap.,

0 Normally the spring D holds the spring 1 sleeves F F apart in the outer ends of the spring housing against the end caps G, and holds the lugs f f of the sleeves in contact with the inner faces of the lugs d d on the 5 saddle, thereby retaining the saddle and drawbar in the central position, as shown in Fig. 3. When the drawbar is moved in one direction, for instance to the right, as shown in Fig. 4:, the saddle will be moved corre- 0 spondingly and the lug d of the saddle, by

its engagement with the lug f of the lefthand sleeve F will draw this sleeve inwardly and compress the spring D against the other sleeve F which is then held from 4 movement against the adjacent cap G. The

jeet beyond the spring will return the saddle and drawbar to the central position when the side pres sun-"on the drawbar is released. In a similar manner, when the drawbar and saddle central position the right-hand sleeve F will be drawn inwardly by the engagement of the lugs 61' and f and will compress the spring against the left-hand sleeve F, and

/0are moved in the opposite direction from the 55 when the pressure on the drawbar is released the spring will return the saddle and drawbar to their central positions.

In the construction described, the spring is inclosed and protected and does not proends of the housing I), and since the sliding sleeves or parts which compress the springs are separate from the saddle and so connected thereto as to permit the saddle to move in each direction in- 65 dependently of, or relative to, one of the sleeves, no part of the centering mechanism moves outwardly beyond the upright end parts of the carry-iron which determine the extent of movement of the saddle. Nevertheless the spring D can be and preferably is substantially as long as the distance between the upright end parts of the carryiron. In other words, with a saddle adapted to move from one to the other of the upright end walls of the carry-iron and a spring extending from one to the other of said end walls, no part of the centering mechanism projects materially beyond or moves in operation outwardly beyond such end walls.

which forms a spring housing, a drawbar saddle arranged to slide on said housing, abutments arranged to slide toward and from each other in said housing, a spring in said housing which extends substantially from end to end of the housing and normally holds said abutments yieldingly apart in the opposite ends of said housing, said saddle being movable relative to both of said abutments and having a part adapted to move one of said abutments when the saddle is moved in one direction and a part adapted to move the other abutment when the saddle is moved in the opposite direction, said abutments and spring in the normal position thereof extending outwardly beyond the opposite ends of said saddle.

2. The combination of a drawbar carryiron having end attaching portions and a horizontal connecting portion, a drawbar saddle which is of less length than the distance between said attaching portions and is adapted to slide on said horizontal portion of the carry-iron from one to the other of said attaching portions, abutments arranged to slide toward and from each other on said horizontal portion of the carry-iron, a spring which normally holds said abutments yieldingly apart, said saddle being movable relative to both of said abutments and having a part adapted to move one of said abutments when the saddle is moved in one direction and a part adapted to move the other abutment when the saddle is moved in the opposite direction, said abutments and spring in the normal position of the abutments extending outwardly beyond the op posite ends of said saddle.

3. The combination of a drawbar carryiron having end attaching portions and a hollow horizontal portion which connects said attaching portions and forms a spring housing, a drawbar saddle which is of less length than the distance between said at taching portions and is adapted to slide on said housing from one to the other of said attaching portions, abutments arranged to slide toward and from each other in said housing, a spring in said housing which extends substantially from one to the other of said attaching portions of the carry-iron and normally holds said abutments yieldingly apart with the outer ends of said abutments substantially in the vertical planes of said attaching portions of the carry-iron, said saddle being movable relative to both of said abutments and having a part adapted to move one of said abutments when the saddle is moved in one direction and a part adapted to move the other abutment when the saddle is moved in the opposite direction.

4. The combination of a drawbar carryiron having a hollow horizontal portion which forms a spring housing, a drawbar saddle arranged to slide on said housing, sleeves arranged to slide toward and from each other in said housing, a spring which is arranged with its opposite ends extending into said sleeves and normally holds said sleeves yieldingly apart in the opposite ends of said housing with the outer ends of said sleeves and the ends of the spring projecting outwardly beyond the opposite ends of said saddle, said saddle being movable relative to both of said sleeves and having a part adapted to move one of said sleeves when the saddle is moved in one direction and a part adapted to move the other sleeve when the saddle is moved in the opposite direction.

5. The combination of a drawbar 'carryiron having a tubular horizontal portion which forms a spring housing and has open ends and a longitudinal slot, a drawbar saddle which is arranged to slide on said housing, abutments arranged to slide in the opposite end portions of said housing, engaging parts on said saddle and said abutments extending through said slot in the housing whereby said abutments are adapted to be moved by said saddle, a spring in said housing extending from one abutment to the other for yieldingly resisting the inward movement of said abutments, caps closing the ends of said housing, and a stationary securing bolt for said caps which extends through said housing, abutments and spring.

6. The combination of a drawbar carryiron having a tubular horizontal portion which forms a spring housing and has a longitudinal slot, a drawbar saddle which is arranged to slide on said housing, abutments arranged to slide in the opposite end portions of said housing, engaging parts on said saddle and said abutments extending through said slot in the housing whereby said abutments are adapted to be moved by said saddle, said engaging parts having contacting undercut faces, and spring means in said housing for yieldingly resisting the inward movement of said abutments.

Witness my hand, this 15th day of March, 1916.

WILLARD F. RICHARDS.

Witnesses:

DONALD C. DAVIS, ALLEN B. BRIMMER. 

